Former Nuggets guard Taurean Green’s coach nearly hit him

Limoges guard Taurean Green, left, runs to score during the third PRO A Playoff final basketball match between Limoges and Strasbourg on June 5, 2014 in Limoges, France. (Thierry Zoccolan, AFP via Getty Images)

AEK Athens head coach Jure Zdovc almost brought new meaning to reaching his players.

During my 30 years in basketball and the titles I have won, I have been taught that what happens at the bench of the team, stays at the bench of the team. The TV image exists but it tells half of the truth. The other half was and will remain within all of us who were at the bench. AEK is a very big club and we have the obligation to serve it and do our best for it to win. The only way for this to happen is by putting the club above the self, by fighting for it and by giving everything for the win. When I came in the team I knew where I was coming. I was coming in a team that the the club is above all. AEK is above everybody and I will serve this logic. Players who think only themselves, who don’t respect the money they receive, who don’t care about the team, and who don’t know where they have come, they will find me opposed to them.

I showed this at SEF, I showed it at Tripoli and I will show it anytime that somebody puts himself above the team and tries to hurt the team. Any player who doesn’t mind losing by 30 points and instead of trying to wash out the shame is indifferent, provocative and disrespectful to the team will have a problem with me. Any player who believes that he came to AEK to do vacation and make money is wrong and I will not hesitate to hurt my image so that everybody who comes in this team understands that AEK is above all.

The general of a team needs to step to the front and fight to impose the correct mentality that is demanded for the team to succeed, even if this can expose him in a negative way. This is what happened in this case. I want to apologise to the fans of AEK and to the basketball people because of the move of my arm. Of course, I know that we should be role models for everybody and represent our club in the best possible way even when provoked.

The first step to long-term success is mentality. Building mentality and foundations is a long-term tough procedure but we will succeed in it and we ll make the fans of the team proud to see players that will be fighting in every possession in order to bring the club where it deserves.

According to eurobasket.com, Green is averaging 4.5 points and 2.0 assists in 13 games for AFK Athens.

Originally a 2007 second-round draft pick by Portland, Green was traded to the Nuggets in 2008. He played nine games in Denver, averaging 1.1 points and 0.7 rebounds.

Sorry to interrupt the fascinating discussion of this embarrassing take. The Post–especially the intern weenies that interrupt intelligent takes here from time to time in the underground–are a little too Trumpish for my taste. Just say something stupid and controversial and hope the votes or views or subscriptions role in, That seems to be the strategy. Any chance the Post sports editor could begin an intelligent discussion of the Nuggets future including draft picks, free agency possibilities, etc? You know, stuff that might interest someone with an IQ above a tree stump.

Definitely time for more space in the underground. Just read through the Stiffs takes on the season. ‘Embarrassing’ is the only way to respond. Stiffs doesn’t take the ‘Butt Tilted Up To Receive My Master’s Member’ approach like Dempsey usually does, but the flailing and confusion there was even more disappointing in some ways since these guys are supposedly enthusiasts that don’t get paid but still write–for the most part–clueless stuff. Where can we get honest takes on the Nuggets? I’m available :^)

Watching the video, the coach looks like a terrible coach. Don’t know his won-loss record, but bullying & hitting isn’t coaching. Ok, he didn’t hit, but he would have, had the players not stopped him. Some people think that this is ok, due to coaches like Bobby Knight. Knight was wrong when he did those things, but he actually did other things right, like genuinely caring about his players’ lives, and trying to help them learn & grow, when he wasn’t bullying. I think that was the key to his successes, and not the violence & the emotional battering. He could have had the same success without the bullying, like Thompson at Georgetown did, certainly the legendary Wooden at UCLA, and Calipari, the Kentucky U bball coach, who is such a great coach, and he says he does everything “from love.” I believe that’s the best foundation for success. Some coaches call this “positive coaching”, and it’s a whole philosophy and program for creating a team environment. It’s a philosophy that emphasizes the positives in your players, and creates an environment with the team that is fun, inspiring, and where teamates can support each other, and build on their own positive traits. Phil Jackson was a big promoter of these ideas for how to handle players and a team successfully. He was authoratative, not authoratarian, in other words, he was open, honest, but strong in command, flexible, and willing to incorporate his players’ ideas into the gameplans, and most importantly, he motivated players using positive rather than negative methods.

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.